Happy Harvest Season to all! It's October, and at Buddings, it's All About Fall! This month we're celebrating the changing colours, the Thanksgiving get-togethers, and of course, Halloween! Our calendar is full of fun programming and activities, and to get the most out of it, we recommend coming in at least twice a week. Not on Mon. October 6, though, as we'll be closed for Thanksgiving.

There are some other changes to mention as well, changing our manager, some additions to our Roll Over policy, and the introduction of a new membership level for really occasional use.

The spots are filling up, and especially towards the end of the month, we've got a full house. We all love up to the hour reservations, but it's time to start thinking about booking your mornings ahead of time. Maybe the night before? Just a thought ;)

As we approach our first year anniversary, we've been taking a close look at our policies and what we have to offer. While we're pretty happy with the way things are working, there are two areas that needed a bit of clarification. We will be sending registered families an electronic version of the updated Parent Handbook very soon, and will have hard copies available upon request. Please contact Talia if you have any questions about the policies.

Roll-over hours: We're pleased to offer families the option of rolling remaining hours from one month to the next, but starting for November, we have a few conditions:

1. Free hours can only be rolled if a package was also purchased.

2. Rolled hours can only be rolled again if a package was also purchased.

3. Rolled hours are activated when the invoice is paid within the month. Unpaid hours will be lost.

NEW! 6-Month Membership Option:

When you purchase hours at least once every three months, we know that you're an active member, and it makes sense to hold your spot, even if you do have lapses from time to time.

If your needs are more occasional, it might make more sense to hold your spot without buying packages, and we're pleased to introduce our new 6-Month Membership option. The cost is $300, and as our membership grows, you have the convenience of knowing that childcare is still available when you need it, even if it's not very often.

If your account has been inactive for more than two months, we will contact you and make sure that your current membership level is working for you.

New People and Higher Places!

Our three interns have been working with us for a whole month already! You might have seen Angie, Johanna and Sofy around the centre, and even heard snippets of stories about them from your kids, but we know you want all the details.

The girls come from as diverse backgrounds as you can imagine: a behavioural neuroscience student and athletic All Star, a trained elementary school educator (with her B.Ed.), and a geological technician, which I'm pretty sure means underground explorer. We asked all three of them to write us a bio, and we've posted them on the Staff Page of our website. Turns out they're all pretty good writers, and photogenic, too. :) Check out their stories before our next newsletter. There will be a quiz. ;)

With Jenny's departure, we also had an empty spot in our staff structure, but as of Oct. 3, Lawrence received the final A-OK from Vancouver Coastal Health to take the role of Daycare Manager. You might not have realized it, but as a licensed facility, the Community Care Licensing Office has to approve our choice. He interviewed successfully for the position and you'll be seeing his name on our new license in the front entrance just as soon as we receive it. We're very proud!

Children's Emergency First Aid - Oct. 14, 2012

Buddings is hosting the Red Cross Children's Emergency First Aid Course on Oct. 14, and we still have space available if you'd like to take it too! It will be a small class delivered by a licensed instructor and the certificate is good for 3 years. The course runs 9am - 5pm, with a lunch break scheduled. You are welcome to bring a lunch and heat/cook it at Buddings, and of course there are lots restaurants nearby.

The cost is $95.20 including tax, materials, and certificates, and if you'd like to join, you can do so by sending an email to Talia to confirm your spot.

Buddings Kids' Clothing Swap - Oct. 27, 2012

The season is changing, and you know nothing from last year is going to fit, so before you spend a fortune on a season's worth of new clothes, and shoes, boots, and Halloween costumes, hats, and mitts, scarves, and... you get it, right?

Bring all that too-small, gently used stuff to the Buddings Kids' Clothing Swap on Sat. October 27, from 11am - 3pm, and take away a wardrobe worth of stuff that will fit... for a couple months, at least.

If you've never been to a clothing swap, let us assure you, it's a tonne of fun, and you can save a mountain of money. Dig through your kids' closets and bag and bring anything they can't (or won't) wear.

Feel free to bring in your old Halloween costumes and accessories as well, but let's keep it to wearable stuff. At this time, we're just doing clothes, shoes and winter gear, but we'll have a toy and stuff donation box through December for Easter Seals.

Spot Light

In the Spring, the Buddings Bike to Work Week team came in 33rd for businesses with less than 11 employees. We invited families to join our team and Bike to Buddings, and we're ready to do it again this Fall! Our Bike to Buddings Challenge is running from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4, with treats for everyone who participates, and the chance to ride in costume for Halloween!

Get the Most from Buddings: the Twice a Week Plan

We've been doing a lot of reading lately about how children's brains work, and what impact the environment and caregivers can have on their learning. You probably knew it already, but the impact is huge.

We're going to explain more about what we've learned, and how it's shaping our program to make Buddings a more effective educational environment, in future newsletters as well as on our website, but the first thing you might notice is a change to our Hour Packages. The new options are:

Occasional Buddings: 10hours/month - $200

Buddings Buddies (3hours, twice a week): 24hours/month - $400

Buddings Max: 40 hours/month - $660

Merging the 20 and 30 hour packages (and reducing the price) also gives us the opportunity to recommend how to use your hours for greatest benefit. We've spent a lot of time thinking about it, and our Twice a Week Plan is something you'll be seeing a lot.